mid term 2

Scramble for Africa

The invasion, conquest, and colonisation of most of Africa by seven Western European powers during the late 19th and ealy 20th century. Causation includes competition, ethocentrism, spread of religion and tech. Effects, including political instability, economic dependence, and cultural disruption.

Meiji Restoration

Political event in Japan in 1868 that overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate and restored power to the imperial family. Gave way to constintutal monarchy with parliamentary gov, national army, adoption of western science ie factories, end of fuedal class.

Berlin conference

Fomed by Bismark and formalized the Scramble for Africa by European powers and led to the arbitrary divison of the continent into colonies without regard for cultural or ethical boundries setting stage for decades of exploitation/conflict regarding native people and labor. Seen through rubber harvesting in the Congo and pitting native groups against eachother ie Tutsi and Hutu.

White mans burden

Ideal popularized by Rudyard Kiplings poem outlining that Western nations had a moral duty to civillize and improve non-white/western people through acts of colonialism, imperialism, justifying racial and cultural domination. Impact can be seen through multiple European powers going into places like Africa spreading culture and relgion.

Social darwinism

Idea that certain people become powerful in society because they are innately better. Social Darwinism has been used to justify imperialism, racism, eugenics and social inequality at various times over the past century and a half.

Sepoy rebellion 1857

Wide spread unsucessful rebelllion against British rule in India. Sparked by indian soldiers aka sepoys in the British East India Co since they were unhappy with pay and rifle cartridges containing cow fat that went against religous beliefs. However rebellion would fail leading British gov to disolve co control and rule directly through British Raj

British Raj

Rule over India from 1858 to 1947 established western ideals ie centralized bureaucracy and british laws, western education, exploitation of Indian resources and decline of industries ie cotton, infrastructure like railways. However the push of such western ideals would make natives unhappy helping build nationalist movement later ending in independence.

Belgian Congo

Colony established in 1908 as a personal possession of King Leopold 11 existed till 1960. Would be a plantation colony as its natural resources ie rubber, ivory, copper, etc were explotied via slave labor with extreme brutailty of rape and violence. About half the natives died from punishment and malnutrition.

Opium Wars

Two conflicts (1839-1842 and 1856-1860) fought between China and Western powers, primarily Britain, over the British trade of opium into China, resulting in China being forced to open ports to foreign trade and cede territory. Also leading to much of the Chinese pop getting addicted.

Boxer Rebellion

(1899-1901) was an anti-imperialist uprising in China led by the 'Boxers,' a secret society opposing foreign influence and missionary activities. Frustrated by foreign intervention and economic hardship, they launched violent attacks against foreigners and Chinese Christians. An eight-nation alliance intervened to suppress the uprising, resulting in significant casualties and the Boxer Protocol, which imposed heavy reparations and further weakened the Qing dynasty.

Nitrates

Compounds containing nitrogen and oxygen (NO3), have been crucial in agriculture (fertilizers), industry (explosives), and medicine (nitrates are vasodilators used to treat heart conditions). 

Second Industrial revolution

19th century to the early 20th century (approximately 1870 to 1914), marked a period of significant industrial growth characterized by the expansion of industries such as steel, electricity, and chemical manufacturing. This era saw the development of new technologies and innovations, including the internal combustion engine, electric power generation, and advancements in telecommunications like the telegraph and telephone. The Second Industrial Revolution fueled urbanization as people migrated to cities for work, transformed labor markets, and led to the rise of consumer culture. It played a crucial role in creating modern economies, shaping global trade, and inspiring social changes, including labor movements advocating for workers' rights. This period laid the groundwork for the technological and economic landscape of the 20th century.

Spanish-American war

Conflict fought between 1898 and 1899, primarily between the United States and Spain. The war emerged from the U.S. intervention in the Cuban War of Independence, driven by public outrage over Spain's brutal treatment of Cuban rebels and the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, which was sensationalized by the American press. The war resulted in a swift and decisive victory for the United States, leading to the Treaty of Paris (1898), which granted the U.S. control over former Spanish territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. This conflict marked a significant turning point in U.S. foreign policy, expanding American imperial influence and establishing the country as a global power in the 20th century. The war also sparked debates about imperialism and the responsibilities of the U.S. in its new overseas colonies.

Manifest destiny

19th-century belief and doctrine that the expansion of the United States across the American continents was both justified and inevitable. This concept, which gained popularity in the 1840s, held that Americans were destined by God to spread democracy and capitalism throughout North America. Proponents of Manifest Destiny argued that it was a divine right and mission to expand the nation’s territory, leading to the westward expansion that included the annexation of Texas, the Oregon Trail migration, and the acquisition of land from Mexico. The idea played a significant role in American politics and culture, influencing attitudes towards Native American populations and the justification for territorial conflicts.

Gunboat diplomacy

Using military force, especially naval power, to coerce weaker nations into compliance, often through threats or displays of strength, rather than through negotiation. Seen through Commodore Perry expeditions to Tokyo.

Partition of Africa

The division of African territories among European powers during the late 19th century done in the Berlin Conference which was driven by imperial expansion and economic interests, resulting in significant colonial rule and consequences for African societies.

Otto von Bismark

Chancellor of the German Empire from its creation in 1871 until 1890. He is best known for his role in unifying Germany through a series of wars and diplomatic strategies known as 'Realpolitik.' Bismarck effectively utilized military power, political maneuvering, and alliances to bring together various German states under Prussian leadership, transforming Germany into a major European power. His policies laid the foundation for modern German governance and foreign relations, and his legacy includes the establishment of a welfare state and the use of diplomatic alliances to maintain peace in Europe during his tenure.

Nationalism

A political ideology that emphasizes the interests, culture, and identity of a particular nation, often leading to the desire for national independence or dominance. Seen through countries like India whos religous beliefs helped them to build rebeliion movements to fight for their independence ie Seopy rebellion.

Phrenology

The study of skull shapes to determine personality traits and intelligence, popular in the 19th century. Often used to justify racism as people with bigger heads were often seen as infurior and provided justifaction for colonization as well since also seen as less intelligent. Phrenology has been discredited as a pseudoscience.

The “Sick Man of Europe”

Historically refers to the Ottoman Empire in the 19th and early 20th centuries, highlighting its decline amidst rising nationalist movements and the encroachment of European powers. It reflects the empire’s military failures, economic troubles, and internal strife, as well as its vulnerability to the interests of neighboring countries seeking to carve territory from it.

Scientific racism

The theory (now largely discredited) that different racial and ethnic groups have innately differing levels of physical, intellectual, and moral development that distinguish them as superior or inferior. Used to jusify colonization/imperalism as powers saw it as helping savage natives.

Queen Victoria

Reigned from 1837 to 1901 rule marked a period of significant industrial, political, and social change, marking the "Victorian Era" and the expansion of the British Empire. Her impact included shaping the modern monarchy, influencing popular culture, and solidifying Britain's position as a global power. Seen through rule as Empress of India.

Quinine

A drug derived from the cinchona tree bark, primarily used as an antimalarial medication, and its discovery and use played a significant role in European colonization and exploration of tropical regions notabily in Africa.

Commodre Perry

US Navy officer who, in the mid-19th century, forced Japan to end its centuries-long isolationist policy by arriving with a fleet of gun boats and negotiating the Treaty of Kanagawa, opening two ports for American vessels and establishing diplomatic relations. Highlights example of manifest destiny.

Zaibatzu

Establihed during the Meiji restoration defined as larfe-family owned business conglomerates that controlled portion of Japans economy primarly in finance, heavy industy, and shipping. Played crucial rule in the rapid industrialization and modernization.

Telegraph

Communication system that uses electrical signals to transmit messages over distances, paving the way for modern communication technologies like the telephone and internet. Its impact was profound, transforming business, warfare, and diplomacy by enabling rapid long-distance communication. 

Insular cases

The Insular Cases (1901-22) began to define the legal status of insular, or “unincorporated” U.S. territories. They decided that citizens of unincorporated U.S. territories, while under the sovereign power of the United States, were not necessarily entitled to all of the rights granted to U.S. citizens under the Constitution.

Turner’s Frontier Thesis

1893 essay argues that the westward expansion and the "frontier" experience were crucial in shaping American character, democracy, and identity. Sparking more initative to travel west and settle the frontier to spread the Western knowledge as well.

Monroe doctrine

President James Monroe in 1823, declared that the Western Hemisphere was no longer open to European colonization and that the U.S. would view any European interference in the Americas as a threat, significantly shaping U.S. foreign policy and its relationship with the Western Hemisphere. Would be used as justifcation for expansion during Mexican-American war.

Platt Amendment

Established the conditions for the US to end its military occupation of Cuba, granting Cuba independence but also allowing the US significant influence in Cuban affairs, including the right to intervene and the lease of Guantanamo Bay. 

Guano Islands Act (1856

Allowed US citizens to claim uninhabited islands containing guano (seabird droppings), a valuable fertilizer, on behalf of the United States, marking an early example of American expansionism and overseas territorial acquisition.